Episode 80: Enter the Buffyverse Part 2 (Seasons 4-7)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) was originally conceived as “My So-Called Life meets The X-Files” and seasons one through three keep that formulation at its bloody and beating heart, although the soapiness kicks up into overdrive as the show goes on into seasons four through seven, which are what we discuss in this episode.
My guest for this episode is Monia, the Exiled Fan, and you can read her substack here!
It’s worth going back to look at Buffy not just because it’s a wonderful show but also because so much of the way pop culture is today can be traced back to Buffy and to the fandom that built up around it on places like OG posting board “The Bronze” (and check out the documentary on “The Bronze,” which is like looking at the present in the past) where extremely online fans interacted with both the cast and the writing staff of the show. There is also the academic fandom that built up around the show—including a conference called Slayage that is still being held as of this year. This has led to a lot of dubious academic papers of dubious academic quality with titles like, “‘I said I didn’t remember anything about that’: Toxic Masculinity in the Buffyverse” a trend that has continued through various other fandoms, including K-Pop. And, unfortunately, this stuff has come to overshadow the actual show in popular imagination.
Another complicating factor is that Joss Whedon was finally cancelled a few years ago, although allegations that he could be a terrible person to work with had been around for decades. This cancellation has also contributed to a retrospective trashing of Buffy, which I think is unfair.
Some of the things we mention in these episodes are:
Amber Benson on Loveline being her goofy self; James Marsters on Loveline fending off Spike fans.
The Succubus Club Podcast has been archived.
We bring up the enduring popularity of the “Murder Husband” which has some overlap with what Time is calling the “Thirst Trap Villain.” I think the actor I was thinking of is Adam Driver re: the popularity of Kylo Ren with shippers. He has recently come out about how the original trajectory of the character was warped to capitalize on the popularity of the Reylo ship.
Luke and Laura were the couple from General Hospital. There are plenty of compilations on YouTube so you can see the chemistry for yourself!
“Cause and Effect” is the episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation; “Rejoined” is the episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; the seasons of Skins I reference is season three with Emily and Naomi.
The songs played are:
PART ONE
[“It just gets fun-er and fun-er every time you play it.”] from S4E2, “Living Conditions”
“Believe” by Cher (Official MV; from S4E2, “Living Conditions”)
[“Maybe this is a bad time to tell you about the Easter Bunny.”] from S4E11, “Doomed”
“Dip” by THC (from S4E6, “Wild At Heart”)
[“Are you a big Elvis fan?”] from S4E6, “Wild At Heart”
"[“Come on! Vampires! Grrr! Nasty! Let's annihilate them. For justice, and for... the safety of puppies... and Christmas.”] from S4E11, “Doomed”
“Danse Macabre” by Camille Saint-Saëns (from S4E10, “Hush”)
[“She does spells with Tara.”] from S4E22, “Restless”
“Sweet Charlotte Rose” by Headland (from S4E16, “Who Are You?”)
“Serenade in Blue” by the Royal Crown Revue with vocals by Brad Kane (from S4E17, “Superstar”)
[Exposition Song performed by Anthony Stewart Head] from S4E22, “Restless”
[“I'm gonna be a fireman when the floods roll back.”] from S4E22, “Restless”
“There’s No Other Way” by Blur (Official MV; from S5E11, “Triangle”)
“I Can't Take My Eyes Off You” by Melanie Doane (from S5E6, “Family”)
[“He's risked everything. And you're about to let him fly because you don't like ultimatums...?”] from S5E10, “Into The Wooods”
“Key” by Devics (from S5E14, “Crush”)
[“Do you like the Ramones?”] from S5E14, “Crush”
“Buffy Theme” by Nerf Herder
PART TWO
“Buffy Theme” by Nerf Herder
“Tales Of Brave Ulysses” by Cream (from S5E16, “The Body” and S3E6, “Band Candy”)
[“Hey, kid. Wanna see a trick?”] from S5E22, “The Gift”
“Die, Die My Darling” by the Misfits (from S6E20, “Villains”)
[“Scully wants me so bad.”] from S6E5, “Life Serial”
“Boom Swagger Boom” by the Murder City Devils (from S6E5, “Life Serial”)
“Goodbye to You” by Michelle Branch (live version from S6E8, “Tabula Rasa”)
“Rock and Roll Bar” by Mint Royale (from S6E14, “Older and Far Away”)
[Nobody should listen to Dawn] from S6E19, “Seeing Red”
“The Leaves” by Daryll-Ann (from S6E19, “Seeing Red”)
“New Slang” by the Shins (Official MV; from S7E6, “Him”)
[Principal Wood loves busting asses.] from S7E4, “Help”
[“It makes my spit taste like fruit juice.”] from Freaks and Geeks, S1E3
“Blue” by Angie Hart (from S7E7, “Conversations with Dead People”)
[“Buffy, the Slayer of Vampyres.”] from S7E16, “Storyteller”
“Mr. Spock” by Nerf Herder (Official MV; from S7E19, “Empty Places”)
“Stop Thinking About it” by Joey Ramone (from S7E2, “Beneath You”)
“Pavlov’s Bell” by Aimee Mann (Official MV; from S7E8, “Sleeper”)